Global Investigative Journalism Network (https://gijn.org/category/news/)
The murder of Slovakian journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kušnírová, both 27, have sparked protests since the killings on February 25. On Friday, tens of thousands gathered at the Slovak National Uprising Square in Bratislava to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government and a thorough investigation of Kuciak’s death. Feature image by Tomáš Benedikovič.
Last year The New York Times published an interactive article on white extremist killings from New Zealand to Norway to the United States. Using maps and a timeline to plot the data, the project revealed the troubling frequency and, in some cases, strange connections between the events. Here graphic designer Weiyi Cai explains how they obtained the data for project and the decisions they made about visualizing it.
Since it was founded in 2010, Forensic Architecture has “hacked into the source code” of architecture to produce innovative and ground-breaking investigations that use 3D modelling, data mining, machine learning, and audio analysis. Working like a lab for the development of new tools, the outfit uses many of the forensic methods of investigation that have historically been the preserve of law enforcement to investigate social and political topics and injustices.
This week’s Friday 5, where we round up our favorite reads from around the online world in English, includes a report from The Guardian and GIJN member Forbidden Stories about a Moroccan journalist targeted by Pegasus spyware, five books on cybersecurity that you should be reading, and, in the midst of the global Black Lives Matter movement, AP Stylebook’s decision to capitalize Black.
When journalists are killed or threatened for investigating environmental crimes, the story can go cold. But the Paris-based Forbidden Stories nonprofit brought together 40 journalists in 15 countries with the aim of completing the work local reporters could no longer pursue. The result is the Green Blood project.
The Ukrainian investigative group Bihus.info has built a name for itself investigating corruption. It formed in the aftermath of the Ukrainian Revolution, as journalists tried to piece together some of the documents destroyed and damaged by the former regime. Today, they are battling a tough media freedom environment and investigations into their own staff and reporters which slow them down and which they see as an effort to pressure them in relation to their reporting.
A network of female journalists went undercover in order to investigate what women and girls around the world are told when they approach a crisis pregnancy organization. Some were told they could be killing the next president, others than abortions cause cancer. The investigation revealed the highly sophisticated tactics some centers use to break a woman’s resolve, and how the messaging can be traced back to a Christian charity based in Columbus, Ohio.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way journalists work, not least because many authorities have cited the contagion as a reason to crack down on the news media. Certain dangers will subside with time but some of the measures put into place that restrict press freedom – whether intended or not — could continue well into the future.
It’s still hard to fathom the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on journalism, even two months into most countries’ lockdowns. On the one hand, sustained and unprecedented demand from audiences for trustworthy information presents an incredible opportunity for independent media; a chance to showcase the value of good journalism and hopefully build lasting relationships with millions of new viewers, listeners and readers.
Investigative journalism has had to adapt to the realities imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Around the world, newsrooms are having to respond to challenges such as social distancing while reporting on the pressure health systems are under. GIJN and the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), invited four journalists from some of the countries that have been the most affected by the pandemic to share what they’ve learned during this process.
After the group that owned half of Quebec’s daily newspapers went bust, Canada’s Le Soleil newspaper was part of a group that created Canada’s largest newsroom cooperative, counting on the support of their readers and their own staff to ensure their survival. One year on, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, they are thriving.
